Page 38 of Revenge of Sin

The sounds stop abruptly, causing me to panic.The silence of the night creeps into my veins, slowing my breathing, dragging me into a fear induced state that I’ll have to overcome quickly if I am to survive.But still, they could be right there on that dock, looking down at me, ready to pounce.

Fear and the need to move get the best of me.

I crawl, inch by inch against the bottom, slowly making my way to the front of the boat, my hand reaching up, running against the dash in search of a key, hoping against hope that someone left it in the ignition.My chest tightens when I finally locate the ignition spot but with no key to be found.

The voices suddenly get loud.Maybe they’re just past me, it’s hard to tell, but they’re not right on top of me like I thought.It’s hard to make out what they’re saying but it’s clear they aren’t happy with each other and it’s hard not to believe they aren’t after me.

I have to stay low and keep out of sight.Still, I need to move if I’m going to be able to get away.My body stays glued to the bottom, inching to the other side, heart in my chest, reaching up, grappling to open the glove box, my fingers scrambling inside touching all the contents until wrapping around a set of keys.

Now, I have a way out … but if the men see or hear one thing amiss, they’ll be all over me in a second and I’m going to be dead.I can’t start the engine yet.I just need to get away from the men at the dock.

Watching carefully, I pull on the rope, slipping the knot loose, causing the boat to drift away from the dock and into the darkness of the sea.The waves gently push me farther and farther.I stay low, hoping that nothing, especially me, is casting a shadow against the lights glowing from the other end of the dock as the boat heads out to sea.

The waves don’t stay calm as I get farther out, instead turning boisterous and choppy.I may not be proficient with a boat, but I do know that I’m going to need a motor to cut through these waves because there’s no way I am going to control this thing without the ability to throttle and steer.

The minute I try the key, the coughing sound of the ignition causes my chest to constrict.“No, no, no.You have to start.”This can’t be happening.I was supposed to find a yacht to slip onto with not one of these soldiers patrolling the docks.

I turn the ignition over again praying in my mind over and over again.“Do not flood.Do not flood.”Once, twice, three times and then, finally, it cranks to life, but the sound of the roaring engine turns my blood cold.Never did I expect it to be so loud, cranking with energy and spilling into the night.

It’s not easy to navigate, quite different than a car.It takes effort to get the small boat turned, cutting inland toward the marshy and residential areas in the back bay, but my heart begins to calm as I see solace in the distance and the sound of the waves rhythmically slap against the hull.

The lights in the distance appear every so often across the bridge, sending waves of fear down my spine, but the lights soon disappear, allowing me to breathe again as the boat finally reaches the shore.

I climb out of the boat into the water with the whipping wind in my face, pulling it with the rope as far onto the sandbar as I can before finding a tree and tying the boat off against the trunk.

The sound of loud voices causes me to duck into the trees and take cover.“Paulie over at the DeLuca casino said she escaped, and everyone is looking for her.They all think she’ll head for the docks.That’s where they’ll be.They didn’t see the bitch take that boat.We have about ten minutes before they figure out what we know and get here, fucking find her first.If the boss finds out we let that bitch get away, we’ll be swimming with the fucking fishes after Sarone and that Gallini psycho find out.”

My heart beats so fast I may have a heart attack right here and save them all the trouble of torturing and killing me.I find my footing over the rocks and begin moving away from the sound of the men’s voices but the minute I trip, falling against the brittle branches, I hear that voice.I know I should have stayed right where I was.

“Hear that?Find her!”

27

Vincenzo

It’s going to be a while before Papa walks into that room.If he really does plan to come, but I have never known that man to say something he doesn’t mean.He’ll be here.

I gave him my word that I wouldn’t be the one to tell the family, that I would let him do it himself as long as he was alive, and I’ll keep that confidence, but looking at Nicolo, Gianni, Agosto and Lanah watching our mom in such bad shape doesn’t make this fucking easy at all.

The doc gives me the nod.“It’s time, we need the patient.”

One by one each of her children whisper something quietly in her ear and kiss her forehead, all with grim features, all of us boys seeing loss of life, but never feeling the imminent threat of loss of our mom like this before.Lanah hovers the longest, as if by staying longer she can make it go away, and once her tears start, I step in.My arm goes around her sagging shoulders and I gather her close.“Let the doctors take care of her.The sooner we leave, the sooner she can get better.”I fucking hope that’s the truth, because she’s looking at me like she doesn’t quite believe me and I’ve never before seen that look in my little sister’s eyes.

She allows me to guide her from the room, wiping tears as they flow gently down her cheeks.Agosto paces in the waiting room.“I need to get out of here, blow off some steam while I wait.”Gianni nods.“I need a fucking cigar.”

Nicolo turns his phone back on and message after message begin hitting both of our phones at the same time.My eyes go wide digesting what I read.“Lanah can stay with the boys.We need to go.”

He types frantically on his phone, grimacing, and then looks at me.“My guy on the inside over at the Sarone’s sent me a ping.We need to move fast.”

I scowl.“Fucking go where?”

“Our guy on the docks says the Sarones caught Anna taking a boat but she’s drifting toward the north bridge.”

Lanah’s eyes go wide.“Find her!I’ll be fine with the others.”I barely hear her because Nicolo and I are already out the door, racing to the car Terry pulls up to it.

“Out by the north bridge,” Nicolo tells him as Terry peels out of the parking lot and I finish closing the door.“Fucking get us there yesterday.”Nicolo turns to me.“They know where she is, right off the edge of the shore, hiding in some brush.What the fuck is she thinking?The Sarones are going to turn her over to Bastian the minute they have her.”

The thought of her in their hands makes my blood run fucking cold.I swear to god if I find her alive, I’m never letting her out of my sight again.“What did you find out from Addie when you went to visit her?”I need to keep my mind busy, do anything that will kill time between now and the time we reach her.We are going to find her, she’s going to be okay, because without her… I let the thought drift away, because I really don’t have the answer to that question anymore.“Nicolo?”